DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 



147 



ment Mesa was so named because of the fancied resemblance of its 

 north front to the walls of some old castle, but the traveler can not see 

 these rugged points until he has passed the east end of the mesa. 



Bej^ond Rifle the most conspicuous features on the north (right) 

 side of the valley are the great white cliffs of Mount Logan. When 

 the traveler first sees them, near Rifle, they are in the distance, but as 

 he goes westward he approaches them, and before the train has 

 covered many miles it is running at their bases. Many of the maroon 

 beds of the Wasatch, which came in so prominently on the west side 

 of the Grand Hogback west of Newcastle, have passed below the level 

 of the river ; only a few hundred feet remains in sight to form a red- 



est is tlie establishment of " grazing 

 periods " consistent witli the protection 

 of the forage plants. Under the super- 

 vision of the Forest Service the periods 

 for grazing have been so adjusted that 

 the cattle are not allowed on the range 

 until the grass and soil are ready. 

 This permits the full utilization of the 

 forage without overgrazing or denuda- 

 tion. A careful study is also made of 

 the " carrying capacity " of each indi- 

 vidual range — that is, of the ability of 

 a given tract to sustain stock in good 

 condition without deterioration of the 

 forage. 



The construction and maintenance 

 of drift fences (see PI. LXIV. B) for 

 properly handling stock on the range 

 and of pastures for gathering stock 

 and for weaning calves; the establish- 

 ment of salt grounds, for salt is as 

 necessary for beasts as for man ; the 

 construction of wagon roads and trails 

 to open up new and unused parts of 

 the range ; and the improvement of 

 springs and water holes — all this work 

 and much of other kinds that have a 

 vital bearing on the gi'azing industry 

 has been done by the Forest Service in 

 cooperation with the stockmen. 



All grazing privileges in national for- 

 ests, except for 10 head or less of 

 milch cows or work horses, are granted 

 under a formal iiermit that can be 

 procured on application to the Forest 

 Supervisor, though each year, with the 

 increasing demand for range, the equi- 

 table allotment of these privileges is 

 becoming more difficult. In its grazing 



policy the Forest Service takes the 

 position that it would rather help the 

 small man to make a living than the 

 big man to make a profit. The devel- 

 opment of local ranges and the produc- 

 tion of winter feed is therefore encour- 

 aged, and within certain limits gi'azing 

 privileges are granted to new settlers, 

 even to the extent of reducing the 

 privileges of those who have been 

 " running " a large number of cattle. 

 On the other hand, the so-called 

 " vested rights " of the large owner are 

 respected and his privileges main- 

 tained except where the small owner 

 is being unduly crowded or denied con- 

 sideration. Maximum limits as to the 

 number of cattle and horses that may 

 be " run " on the forest by the owner 

 have therefore been established in or- 

 der to prevent monopoly. The small 

 stockman is also safeguarded by a 

 " protective limit,"' which is the num- 

 ber of cattle the settler must have in 

 order to make a living on his property. 

 The small man is thus able to build 

 up his holdings to this limit, and stock- 

 men who claim larger privileges are 

 assured that they will not be reduced 

 unreasonably by the demands of the 

 small man. 



As the live stock that is grazed on 

 the national forests furnishes a con- 

 siderable part of the meat supply of the 

 country, the Forest Service feels that 

 it should promote the use of our graz- 

 ing resources as fully as the proper 

 care and protection of the forests and 

 the water supply may permit. 



